This invention relates in general to brushes for use on the hands and skin of human beings and relates in particular to a brush incorporating features which enable a multiplicity of cleaning operations to be achieved with one brush.
It has long been known that brushes can be used to assist in cleaning the human body and particularly for cleaning the hands. These brushes come in many sizes and shapes and configurations, but primarily include a body and/or some means for gripping the brush, usually incorporated into the body, and a plurality of bristles projecting from the brush and enabling the user to achieve a greater cleaning efficiency than would otherwise be possible with a conventional washcloth, sponge, etc. Some brushes are provided with relatively stiff bristles to assist in removing difficult to remove dirt while others have relatively flexible or xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d bristles for use on tender skin or where vigorous dirt removal is not required. Such brushes have particular utility in cleaning the hands, fingers and fingernails of the user and are particularly adapted to situations in which significant grime or dirt is present and is difficult to remove.
It has also been known in the prior art to provide sharpened means, usually incorporated in fingernail files or fingernail clippers, to enable dirt to be removed from beneath the fingernails.
Heretofore, however, it has been necessary in the past to provide a number of utensils of this general nature in order to enable the user to perform a complete cleaning operation on his or her hands.
Accordingly, it is believed desirable to provide a combination brush which, in one implement, contains all of the features necessary to accomplish what heretofore has been accomplished with a plurality of implements.
It accordingly becomes the principal object of this invention to provide a brush wherein the brush is provided with a plurality of features which enable a plurality of cleaning operations to be performed with the same basic implement.
To that end, it has been discovered that this object can be achieved by providing a brush having a main body portion and opposed side legs depending therefrom and opposed end legs depending from the opposed ends thereof. It has been found that a plurality of bristles can be provided on the upper surface of the main body portion to effectuate the cleaning operation.
It has also been discovered that the cleaning ability of the brush can be enhanced by providing a first series of bristles projecting from the surface of the main body portion which are relatively long and flexible. It has been found that these bristles can accomplish the cleaning operation to remove dirt or grime which is not seriously embedded into the skin or cuticles of the user.
It has also been found that a second shorter, stiffer series of bristles can be provided adjacent the first series to assist the user in removing more difficult to dislodge dirt or grime.
It has also been found that a plurality of roughened areas can be provided outboard of the bristles on the main body portion for removing particularly hard to remove dirt or grime.
Additionally, it has been found that an improved brush can be provided in which the depending end legs terminate in sharpened points. This enables the fingernail cleaning function to be performed with the same implement used to clean the skin.
It has further been found that the objects of the invention can be further realized by providing, on at least one of the depending side legs, an apertured connecting lug integral with the side legs which enables the brush to be hung on a projecting member such as a nail or attached to a lanyard which enables the brush to be hung when not in use.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following brief specification considered and interpreted in view of the accompanying drawings.